The Alpharetta volleyball team finished the 2012 season with 25 wins, the most victories in a season for the Raiders since 2006, which was also the last time the program finished a year with a winning record. The 2013 campaign has begun positively, including two wins over North Paulding and Marietta on Aug. 13 to start the year.

“Our season has been going well since tryouts,” said senior setter Lexi Smith. “We’ve bonded as a team and have great chemistry. We didn’t know what to expect going into the first few games but it went well.”

This past weekend, Alpharetta participated in the Sequoyah Classic and split two contests on Aug. 17, earning a win over Sprayberry but dropping a three-set match to Apalachee. “We still have a lot to work on but now that we’ve played our first games, we know what to focus towards,” said senior defensive specialist Jess Peraud.

Leading the charge is first-year head coach Lucy Abney, who is assisted by Grace Fossier, who has extensive coaching experience in club volleyball within Georgia, and Trey Hicks, a member of the Raiders’ program for nine years who had various responsibilities, including updating statistics and managing practices.

“We didn’t know what to expect after last season but coach Abney and Fossier are the best that we could’ve hoped for,” said Smith. “They’re doing great things for the program.”

“When we found out that coach Fossier was joining us, I was excited because she’s an experienced coach coming from A5 Volleyball,” said senior middle Maddie McCormick.

Alpharetta’s improved volleyball program may be tied to several factors, which are apparent to the Raider players.

“We receive good competition from other teams in the area, especially Chattahoochee and Johns Creek,” said Perraud. “Our Junior Raiders program is good and the girls are getting an earlier start playing at the club level so that when they reach high school, the skill level is much higher.”

“We did well in the area tournament last year and expect to do the same,” said senior outside hitter Maddy Offenhauser. “Our offense is good and we’re working on our defense to get it up to standards that we want it to be for our significant games. We have high hopes this season.”

Alpharetta returns to action Thursday in home matches against Collins Hills and Cambridge.

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